Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-07
onward the game seemed

VIZ AAiSaNc>SA llaI laCISdllcI LuC llIlS
would be so completely occupied ct the
shops N Birming ham thst he would be
obliged henceforth to forward his bills
for discount through the mail, and that
the proceeds would be deposited to his
account, and thgt he wopld check them
out as needed. This arrangement was
made for the purpose of allowing Austin
BidWeu, whose person was now well
known, to get away and far
from England before the explosion
came; George Bidweu and N1acdoa-
nell could forward the forged scceptences
from Birmingham SIS well as he and draw
the proceeds By checks. Bank OF Eng
land notes eau be easily traced by their
number, and it was now found necessary,
in orderto successfully cover their tracks,
that an account should be opened with
another bank into which should be paid
the money obtained from the western
branch of the Bank of England, and
from which it could be with
drawn il different shape Accord
ingly the cOnspirators opened an account
at the Continental Bank under the name
OF Chsrles j Horton; but this strange
ment also made it necessary that fourth
person should be engaged in the enter
Noyes was telegraphed for from New
York to come to London. N1yes had
been concerned with the BidWells before
in forging operations in this country and
had served term in the New jersey pen
ientiary.
He appeared IN London under the name
OF Edwin Hill, and, stopping st g hotel,
be made the fact known about the place
that ne was in search Of situation
Charles j. Horton having advertised fo1 q
clerk, Hill answered the advertisement
and was accepted. This elaborate de-
ception was planned so that after the
principals had gotten away Noyes, who
would probably be caught the first one,
could plead that he was only sn
innocent clerk, and knew nothing
whatever Of what his employer had
oeen doing. All things being now In
train Austin Bitwell married a very es-
timable English lady, to whom he had be-
come deeply attached, and set sail for
Havana, leaving the remainder OF the
operations to be conducted by his part
ners IN crime.
In the latter part of January the first
batch Of forged bills, amounting to sew
eral thousand pounds, was forwarded
AIOiIl All Ill u ssLulL III tIG ua--5C VI 7 =
Warren to The Western Branch. That
was the first experiment, and if it
passed muster the scheme was successful.
They were all limitations OF one or other
Of the genuine bills, which had been pre-
Giously discounted by the bank, and the
imitatiOn WAS so paTfeCt-paper. engrav-
ing, style, ink, handwriting, had sll been
copied so eXaCtly-that the pacticed eyes
~ 81 OIy L.
pletely deceived. Between the latter
part of January and February =, forged
bills to the enormous amount OF
fl02 900, or hall million CT dollars,
payable three months after sight. were
regularly forwarded, discounted, and the
proceeds passed to the credit Of f. 4.
Warren, and as regularly the greater part
was drawn out and deposited in the Con-
tinental bank TO the credit of Horton, and
drawn from there by Hill, the CLERK, and
the proceeds invested IN United States
bonds, though some money wss sent to
this country also. Meanwhile the genu-
inc bills were falling due, and as these
were promptly paid no suspicion
was awakened. Everything pointed
to the most complete success when Feb
rusry . the forgers forwarded their lest
UdUCu VI DlllDs i uG nISb VI Tue lOTGSu
aCCeptances would not fall due until
March 81, and during the month still to
elapse there would be ample time for the
conspirators to collect all their booty,
make their escape and seek some place
where they would be safe from the pur-
suit of English detectives. In this last
batch of bills were two for
$1,000 each, which, by an oversight
OF the forger. did not contain the date
of acceptance. The bank clerk through
whose hands these bills passed, thinking
it to be mere accident, sent them to
the office of the supposed scceptors and
was surprised to hear that both were
Cleverly executed forgeries.
THE RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
Immediately inquiries were SCI on foot,
and it was discovered that every bill
which "Mr. F. a. Warren" had sent after
January II was fraudulent, andEthat upon
J the mass Of worthless paper the Bank OF
Englsad had advanced more than $780,
! 900 in the fullest belief that it was good
and genuine.
| At once the vast resources of the Bank
Of England were set in motion to run
down the forgers. Noyes was the first
arrested, but he made no disclosures,
clsiming that ne knew nothing and was
only clerk. George Bidwell and Mac
donnen fed from London. The former
was man of fine education, master OF
several languages, an apt mimic and
capital at Disgusting himself. He was
shrewdly followed to Edinburg,
where he was captured. Macdon
nell was followed to the United
States and extradlted, and Austin Bidwell
WAS arrested in Havana and carried
back to London. Notwithstanding the
cleveTness with which they had laid theil
plans and destroyed most of the traces of
their fuilt these were ell brought tC
naught through the treschery of three
women with whom George BidWeIl, Mac
donnell and Noyes hsd associated wher
in London. The disclosures of these
women enabled the detectives TO get on
the track of the men without delay and Il
follow them with unerring certainty.
It is Just fourteen Years ago this month
of August, when the four men were
placed in the criminal dock OF the Contra
Criminal Court OF London. Their tris
occupied nine days, and the evidence
against than was so Overwhelming tha'
no defence was possible. Macdonnell anC
Bidwell took the burden Of the crime OF
their shoulders, and pleaded strongly tina
Austin Bidwell and Noyes were no
guilty and should not be pun